ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pop — soda
  4. last — to go on
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. band — a ring
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. last — final
  12. pop — music
  13. fine — all right
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wound — an injury
  17. last — finally
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. band — a music group
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. chip — to eat
  24. chip — for betting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com